In the wake of recent killings in Paris and Nice, as well as in Vienna, the debate over “Islamism” has regained prominence in Europe, especially in France. Islamism as a political ideology must of course be rigorously distinguished from Islam, the religion. That conceptual distinction ought to be readily understandable and familiar from previous iterations of responses to terrorism. What however appears to be new in the current French discussion is the perceived linkage between Islamism, terrorist violence, and academic post-colonialism, regarded as providing a justification for the violence. That association is being made at high levels in the Macron government, generating considerable controversy. That is the context for the open letter published in Le Monde, translated below. Do academic ideas have consequences in the world?
An op-ed published in Le Monde on November 1, 2020 was signed by over a hundred scholars in reaction to the assassination of high school teacher Samuel Paty by a Jihadist. They also expressed their support of the Minister of National Education’s statement criticizing the influence in French universities of ideologies sympathetic to Islamist politics (not to be confused with Islam as a religion). This Manifesto of the 100 deeply divided the academic world and elicited numerous counter op-eds and petitions.
One hundred scholars warn: “What threatens us most with regard to Islamism is the persistence of denial”
A few days after the assassination of Samuel Paty, the primary reaction of the University Presidents Conference (CPU)—the institution that supposedly represents French universities—was to “share the emotion caused” by the statements of the Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer on the radio station Europe 1 and at the Senate on October 22. Speaking on Europe 1, the Minister of Education claimed that “Islamo-leftism is wreaking havoc in universities,” especially “when an organization like UNEF—the French Students Union—yields to this kind of thing.” He denounced an “ideology that leads to the worst,” indicating that the killer had been “influenced by people who encourage intellectual radicalism.” These are “ideas that often come from elsewhere and from identity politics [communitarisme] that are to blame: ‘the fish rots from the head.'”
The same day, Jean-Michel Blanquer reaffirmed at the Senate that there are “very powerful Islamo-leftist currents in higher education, with deleterious intellectual effects. This leads to the problems you are now witnessing.”
We, scholars and researchers, can only agree with Jean-Michel Blanquer’s observation.
Who could deny the seriousness of the situation in France today, especially after the recent terrorist attack in Nice—a situation, despite whatever some may say, that does not spare our universities? Indigenist, racialist, post-colonial (imported from American campuses) ideologies are well represented, feeding an anti-white racism and a hatred of France. A fierce activism lashes out against anyone who challenges the anti-Western dogma and the multicultural rhetoric. So in October, Houria Bouteldja—spokesperson for The Indigenous of the Republic Party—proudly announced that her post-colonial party now “permeates throughout all the universities.”
The reluctance of most universities and scholarly associations to clearly designate Islamism as responsible for the assassination of Samuel Paty is just one illustration of this: their declarations only refer to “obscurantism” or “fanaticism.”
As the wearing of the veil spreads—among other symptoms—and in light of the present situation, it is time that we call things by their names and recognize the responsibility of these growing ideologies in our universities and beyond. The importation of Anglo-Saxon identity-political ideologies, intellectual conformism, fear and political correctness represent a serious threat for our universities. Freedom of speech is narrowing dramatically, as reflected by the recent number of censorship actions carried out by advocacy groups.
What threatens us are not Jean-Michel Blanquer’s declarations, whom we should praise for raising awareness of the seriousness of the situation, but rather the persistence of denial. In a news release, the CPU states “research is not responsible for the ills of society, it analyzes them.” On this we disagree: ideas have consequences and universities play an essential role in defending secularism and freedom of speech.
It was therefore somewhat surprising that Frederique Vidal, Minister of Higher Studies, Research and Innovation, remained silent until October 26 before declaring that everything is fine in our universities.
However we are far from reassured. We therefore ask the Minister of Higher Studies, Research and Innovation to implement measures to detect Islamist tendencies, to take a clear stand against their underlying ideologies, and to engage our universities in the battle to defend secularism and our Republic by creating an authority in charge of documenting cases infringing on republican principles and academic freedom and to develop a program for appropriate responses, similar to the one in place for National Education.
Translated by Michèle Zefferi (translation modified).
I agree with your assessment, Russell. Many folks in post-colonial studies claim to be actually “explaining” rather than justifying terrorist violence. However, when they try to explain the root causes of terrorism as a consequence of Western Imperialism, more often than not they are in fact justifying terrorism. Regardless of who initiated the violence, the targeting of objectively innocent people is categorically wrong. Two or more wrongs do not make a right.
Vicente Medina
Professor of Philosophy
Seton Hall University
E-mail: medinavi@shu.edu
Too bad this pushback doesn’t distinguish between the Islamism of the Moslem Brotherhood and the radical Islamism of ISIS. In practice, any attempt to contain terrorism in France will have to reflect that distinction. It doesn’t matter how much you may hate the Moslem Brotherhood. They are the real alternative to terrorist movements.